Thursday, May 30, 2013

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories. Inspired by Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading.

"And always let your conscious be your guide!" This week we are exploring Pinocchio the movie based off of The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi . I love Pinocchio. This movie has some of the greatest sidekick characters of all the Disney movies to me. We have the beautiful Blue Fairy, Jiminy Cricket, Gepetto, Cleo and of course Figaro!

The movie has some great classic Disney songs. I watched this movie often as a child... and the donkey part always scared me. I watched it again today and it is still a little freaky. Pinocchio goes off to this island for kids and is turned into a donkey. During this scene Pinocchio is smoking a cigar so on the DVD at the beginning there is an commercial message warning people about the danger of smoking. I thought this was really showing the age of this film.

I finished the The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi , wow is this book different then the movie! Pinocchio never seems to want to be a real boy... all of a sudden at the end of the book is made a real boy because he becomes brave and good. There is a Blue Fairy in the book but when we first meet her she wants to be his sister, and then later she wants to be his mother. There is a cricket in the story too... but at the beginning of the book Pinocchio smashes it against the wall! Later we meet the cricket as a ghost and then again as alive. Confusing? Yes it is. Gepetto is Pinocchio's dad but we don't really see much of him in the book. He goes off looking for Pinocchio and then we meet him again at the very end when Pinocchio finds him inside a shark (instead of a whale).

Pinocchio's nose does grow in the book for lying to the Blue Fairy. But unlike in the movie when it just shrinks... a woodpecker comes and pecks off Pinocchio's nose! Disney makes Pinocchio much nicer and more likeable in the movie then he is in the book. He is more innocent in the movie so that he accidentally gets into trouble. Where in the book Pinocchio is a bad kid wanting to get into trouble.

This is another photo above that I have been showing in my Project Disney of Anne Leibovitz's Disney series. This one is of the Blue Fairy and a Fairy in training. I am surprised Disney made a movie based off the book by Collodi. The book didn't really seem like a sweet children's story, though it didn't have a lot of lessons for kids.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Today topics are Blogger Development and Genre Fiction. I have been blogging for a little over 2 years now. I still feel like I don't know what I am doing! I have tried to make my blog better by the example of others. I have learned that using twitter to reach out to people is a good thing. That not participating in too many memes is important too. I have tried to incorporate my book clubs from goodreads into the blog to make it more interactive (the Young Adult Book Club, and Stephen King Fans) . I haven't had any giveaways or anything like that because I hate to feel like I am buying my readers. Though I am going to have one for my OZ month here in September and I am not even sure what to expect! It will be my first time! I have partnered with other bloggers for a few blogging events. I don't
think I am pro whatever that means. I enjoy meeting other bloggers.
There is a small group of bloggers in my local area but I haven't really
connected a lot locally. I have found lots of friends who are far away
from where I live. I use Blogger.. which everyone says sucks but I am not some HTML genius and so I guess I will just hang here. I have tried to find books on wordpress and html but they are all WAY over my head. I just need someone to tell me in layman's terms.

Genre Fiction:

Now onto the Fiction post. I love all books. I do review a lot of Young Adult but that is because I run a young adult book club... if it weren't for that I would probably read a lot more adult books. I love Stephen King~ one of my all time favorite authors. I love Charlaine Harris' books. I really enjoy R.A. Salvatore's books too and need to finish up the Drizzt series. I think the only type of genre I don't like is romance. I just have never been able to get into it. I don't mind it mixed in with other genres but stand alone romance is just eh to me.

Well... I wish I was walking around BEA right now.. but here I am typing up this post and needing to make time for some reading!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I was surprised a while back when I found out that Charlaine Harris has written this book! After Dead.. What Came Next In The World of Sookie Stackhouse. The title really tells is all. It's all about what happens to everyone after the series is over. Most author's don't do this... but Charlaine had said she didn't want to get questions about it for the rest of her life. Here is the description:

Dead Ever After
marked the end of the Sookie Stackhouse novels—a series that garnered
millions of fans and spawned the hit HBO television show True Blood. It
also stoked a hunger that will never die…a hunger to know what happened
next.

With characters arranged alphabetically—from the Ancient
Pythoness to Bethany Zanelli—bestselling author Charlaine Harris takes
fans into the future of their favorite residents of Bon Temps and
environs. You’ll learn how Michele and Jason’s marriage fared, what
happened to Sookie’s cousin Hunter, and whether Tara and JB’s twins grew
up to be solid citizens.

This coda provides the answers to your lingering questions—including details of Sookie’s own happily-ever-after…

The
book will feature extensive interior art by acclaimed Sookie artist
Lisa Desimini, including a Sookieverse Alphabet, color endpapers, and
several full-page black and white interior illustrations.

Armchair BEA is going to be covering a variety of topics this week. Today's topic is Classics. I love Classics. When I was a teenager and in my early 20s I didn't care for them at all. I then took a literature class in college and read a few books that changed my mine. I read the Bluest Eye, and the Great Gatsby. Love both of them. Then I read some Jane Austin and loved her books. In 2007 I discovered goodreads and then joined the Rory Gilmore Book Club because I loved the books Rory was reading on the show. I began reading the Classics along with the group. Then I started moderating two other groups and haven't actually read anymore with that group for a while. I have seen a lot of people who blog join the Classic's Club. For those of you who are looking to read more classics be sure to check out that club!!